Lions beat Mumbai in opener

JOHANNESBURG (AP): Jonathan Vandiar hit his highest Twenty20 score as South African side Highveld Lions claimed a surprise nine-run win over the star-studded Mumbai Indians, in yesterday's opening game of the Champions League Twenty20 competition.

The opening batsman smashed 71 from 48 balls as the Lions posted 186-5 at their Wanderers Stadium after being asked to bat first by Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar. Neil McKenzie added 56 not out from 30 balls.

Tendulkar led the Indian Premier League team's chase with a sublime 69 from 42 balls, but he fell with Mumbai still 56 runs short of victory and the favuorites stuttered to 177-6 in their 20 overs.

Shane Burger bowled Tendulkar and then big-hitting West Indian Kieron Pollard late on to lead the Lions' bowlers with 2-33 off his four overs.

"All credit to the Lions," Tendulkar said. "They picked off wickets at crucial moments. I thought my wicket and Pollard, we got out at the wrong time. Our bowling and fielding looked rusty. We need to get charged up."

team work

Left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso and Zander de Bruyn backed up Burger with one wicket each for the Lions.

"We got good runs on the board and the bowlers backed it up," Lions captain Alviro Petersen said. "We set ourselves 160 to 170 and towards the end we managed more. 186 was a winning total, but Sachin batted well and gave us some nerves."

South African President Jacob Zuma was present for the toss at the tournament-opener and Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias performed for the Johannesburg crowd.

Vandiar provided the entertainment after that as he dominated a 43-run partnership with Vaughn van Jaarsfeld (13) and then combined with McKenzie for 64 runs as the Lions recovered from 38-2 to 145-4 by the time Vandiar was dismissed.

The 20-year-old Vandiar launched the first six of the competition in the ninth over. He reached his half-century off 39 balls with another maximum over the extra-cover boundary.

The left-hander's best shot came as he flicked a short ball from Lasith Malinga over the wooden stands at mid-wicket to move to 71 and his highest T20 score.

Malinga had his revenge off the next ball when Vandiar was caught by Tendulkar in the covers. He had hit three sixes and four fours.